Dreams
by Elmer D. Heiji
Summary: On the journey to Vivi's home island, the strawhat crew stumble across an island. But leads to the entwining of pathways for Luffy and Elmer. What will happen? Find out here. Feel free to give criticism (not too rude please) and leave comments! PM me if you'd like. Suggestions are welcome. LuffyxOC. By the way, I obviously don't own One Piece! ... *sniff* I wish...
1. Chapter 1

Dreams

Chapter 1

The tree stood on its own, dominating the area with its tremendous height. It stood by the edge of a cliff but at a safe distance. In part of the tree sat a house with wooden walls, doorway, and window sills and a roof with a rubber cover, hugging the top. A simple rope ladder hung from the house to a large branch below it. A wooden ladder stood out from the roof and led to a small porch above it that rested on the strongest branch available.

A girl stood on the porch, leaning over the fence she had out up, a telescope in one hand. She had thick silver hair with loose curls that danced around her face in the breeze. Her skin was tanned and she wore a simple white shirt with dark blue bottoms that were rolled up to her knees and a pair of worn, black boots. Wrapped around her neck was a creamy blue scarf that was burnt at the end she had tucked behind her.

She pulled the telescope away from under a festival fox mask that had been pulled up in order to hide her eyes from plain view. Grinning to herself, she took in the passing breeze, filling her lungs with the fresh salty air. She took one last look at the natural landscape then leapt through the narrow hole below her. When she landed, the wooden flooring let out a thundery groan from beneath her and coughed up some dust from its creases. The landing had also brought her the attention of a small fox with rich red-orange fur and paws a mysterious black. The girl passed it, heading for the calendar. As she passed it, it leapt onto her shoulder and perched itself comfortably, its tail wrapped around her scarf. This came as no surprise to the girl as she had grown to the same method of carrying the miniature creature for years.

Once at the calendar, the girl drew a small sun on the present day. She then looked back over the month before and let out a long sigh. "Hmmm," the small fox pondered, worry in its voice. "I take it we need to go shopping again, am I right?"

The girl simply nodded in agreement, the lower half of her face showing her discontentment at the situation. After a moment, she stalked over to an old chestnut wardrobe that stood at the corner of the room and opened the doors. The only resident inside were a few shirts that were similar to the one she was wearing and a long black cloak. With another small sigh, the girl pulled out the cloak and pulled it on. She headed towards the doorway and climbed down the ladder. Once at the bottom, the masked girl made her way along the trail on the grass.

It was a half an hour walk before she reached the town. Upon arrival, she lowered her head and tried to mute her footsteps. _This still isn't quiet_, she thought. As she thought this, the girl could hear the towns people hush around her. They hushed each other, but they didn't bother holding in their dark laughs and cruel jeers. Their cold, hard glares seemed to burn through the cloak. The girl just wanted to run and hide in a dark hole, but that would be letting them win. She lowered her head and walked towards the butchers. When she entered, the commotion in the shop stopped instantly. Everyone dispersed, allowing the girl to go instantly to the front. She spoke almost in a whisper.

"B-B-Beef chunks, lamb and p-p-p-pork belly, please..."

With a begrudging look and a throaty grunt, she was served. Scornful looks were thrown in her direction from everywhere. The only sound that could be heard was harsh whispers and the ringing of the door bell. Once the butcher gave her the bag, she turned and started walking before...

_THUD!_

The girl had bumped her shoulder into someone. Her body froze out of pure fear as her mind ran a thousand punishments she was about to receive. She dropped to the floor, her hands set in front of her and her masked face on the ground. Her soft voice repeated over and over, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I was careless. I'm sorry." She, along with everyone in the shop, was waiting for what the person was going to do next. Slowly, the girl raised her head then tilted it, indicating her confusion. She almost jumped out of her skin when the person lowered themselves and lifted the hood of the cloak, peering inside. The person was a boy, with black, wild hair that was topped by a straw hat. The hat itself was being hugged by a strip of tomato red ribbon. The boy looked in his teens. He had a scar that ran along his left cheek; he wore a red vest with three golden buttons holding it together; and blue trousers rolled up to his knees. She gasped when she realised she had been staring at him but soon realised that he had been doing the same. His black eyes narrowed slightly as his eyebrows furrowed. "What're ya sorry for?"

The girl couldn't understand it. She was able to tell if someone was lying, but his eyes were honest. His eyes... The girl gathered her things quickly, stood up, bowed low in gratitude and walked out of the shop. While she was walking, her mind ran over the boy's kindness until...

_SMASH!_

The girl turned instantly to see the butcher being helped up by some of the passer-bys. She stared in disbelief as the straw hat boy walked through the hole made in the glass. The boy's head was lowered slightly, the hat casting shadows on his eyes. But she didn't need to see them to know that they were filled with anger. As she mentally noted this, she saw the boy take a deep breath and bellow, "What the hell is wrong with you people?! She said she was sorry and you say I should beat her up?!"

He looked around at everyone's faces until his eyes met the girl's fox mask. Eyes narrowed, he stormed up to her. The girl, however, had been staring idly before she noticed how close he was and almost jumped out of her skin when he grabbed her shoulder. He looked directly into the darkness of the eye holes of her mask and asked, "Are you okay with this?! Are you okay with being treated this way?! Are you?!"

_Of course not_, she thought,_ I hate every moment of it._ Almost instantly, her eyes began to prickle with tears as she realised he was right. Biting down on her lip, she urged her tears to recede. And all but one did. That one tear became visible past the girl's mask, rendering the boy silent and shocked. Taking the opportunity, the girl made a run for the forest.


	2. Chapter 2

Dreams

Chapter 2

"Well", the fox began, propping himself up in the bag, "that was… Interesting, to say the least." The girl stayed silent, her mind replaying what had just happened. Removing her hood, she lifted her mask and rested it on the bridge of her nose. She then turned her head to the fox and said, "Theo… He asked me what I was sorry for! Me! Of all people! A-And he didn't hurt me!" A grin formed on the girl's face as she ran in delight.

When she was at the base of her tree, her grin disappeared as she noticed that something was off. The girl looked around warily as the small fox hopped out of the bag and sniffed the ground. Suddenly, he raised his head. "Theo?" the girl questioned.

"There's a scent that's still fresh… And it's coming from the house."

The girl made an audible gulp as she picked up Theo, who automatically climbed up her arm, and made her way up to the tree house.

As she reached the top, she peaked over the wooden floorboards to find a man with three swords at his hip, wearing a green body warmer, a creamy-white shirt, dark green trousers and black boots. But what really caught her attention was his hair. It was short and green, looking almost exactly like that weird moss, marimo. The man scratched his head and wandered around, looking lost and… confused?

The girl whispered to Theo, "H-He looks like he's lost."

"Yeah, and he looks like a swordsman. You should try communicating with him," Theo replied.

"Eh? But, what if he attacks me?"

"You'll be fine! Just give it a try!"

"F-fine, but if I get attacked, it's your fault." And with that, the girl climbed onto the flooring. When she was in the doorway, she cleared her throat, gaining the man's attention, and stammered, "H-H-Hello there. Y-You seem to be lost, de gozaru [1]. This is my home so I'm just wondering… why you're… here…?" As the sentence went on she got quieter until she rounded it off as a question. The stranger could see how tense she was and sighed out of embarrassment and irritation. Running a hand through his short hair, he added to the sigh.

"I… Got lost."

The girl's jaw almost dropped. How could someone get lost in a tree house?! I mean, seriously! The man cast his gaze to the window beside them, giving the girl the perfect opportunity to see the ever-so-faint pink tint that graced his cheeks. She thought for a second and asked, "Is there a specific place you need to go?" The man nodded and answered, "Yeah, into town."

The girl really wished he hadn't said that. He was hoping he'd say, the cliffs, or the beach, or maybe even the… The girl shook her head, shaking away her trail of thought and starting with a new one. Maybe she could just show him the way and she won't even have to go into town! With a small grin, she turned to the man and said, "I'll show you the way there, i-if you want." He looked at her for a second then nodded in agreement, muttering a small "Thank you".

The walk to the town was awkwardly silent. There were questions the girl wanted to ask the stranger but she couldn't find the courage to. As they neared the town, the girl checked that her mask was secure and pulled up the hood of her cloak. The green haired man noticed this, but decided not to voice his thoughts. When grass became cobble stone, the girl stopped a few feet behind the man. He looked back with a quizzical look.

"Why'd you stop?"

His sudden question made the girl jump, and starts to fidget.

"I-I've already been into town... I don't need to go again..." As she spoke the man noticed how tense her shoulders were and sighed.

"Look," he began, "I'm not too good with directions, so I'm gonna need you to help me out 'til I meet one of my crew members. Preferably my Captain," then he muttered something along the lines of 'not the pervy cook', but the girl thought she was just hearing things. Her main concern was what the man was asking her to do. She didn't want to go back into town and listen to the town's people comments and glares. But then a thought struck her. _If I go into town, I might be able to see that guy again! _She smiled to herself then looked at the man.

"Ok. I'll help you," she said, her voice slightly stronger, "but first, please tell me your name."

The man looked at her and nodded, replying, "It's Zoro... Roronoah Zoro."

"It is nice to meet you, Zoro-san [2]."

Zoro gave another lazy nod before walking in the direction they had just come from. The girl just stood there, rocking on her feet slightly, and said with a smile in her voice, "Zoro-san, that's the wrong way." He turned and grumbled, muttering a very quiet "lead the way".

For the first time she could remember, the girl walked with her head held high and a strange burst of confidence. She ignored the laughs and the disgusted remarks of her new attitude and continued walking. The girl turned her head to Zoro and asked, "Did you say you were looking for your Captain?" Zoro just nodded in reply, thinking _something like that_. The girl tilted her head and inquired, "May I ask what he looks like?"

Zoro thought for a moment before answering.

"He wears a straw hat with a red ribbon around it, a red vest, blue bottoms rolled up to his knees and sandals." At this description, the girl stopped. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. They were looking for the same person! She had to confirm it first. Almost shouting, she asked him, "Do-Does he have really messy black hair? A-And a scar under his left eye?"

Zoro looked taken aback. Slowly, he nodded, wondering what the next course of action would follow. The girl lifted her mask so it rested on her nose and taking deep breathes of air, concentrating. After a few moments, she smiled, pulling her mask down. She'd found him. Grabbing his hand, the girl started to run, dragging Zoro behind her but not for long. A boost of adrenaline helped pick up the speed. Passer-by cursed at them, but they ignored it. After going through sharp turns and narrow alley ways, they stopped outside of a restaurant, greedily sucking in the air.

Once they had calmed down, they walked into the restaurant. And there he was. Surrounded by a mountain of plates and blank stares of customers. What was more amazing was the fact that he was still eating. Zoro started walking towards the boy and sat next to him then proceeded to punch his head.

"You idiot. I got lost 'cause of you! Stupid Captain!"

The boy whined at Zoro, rubbing his head. His mouth was full of food and a bone was sticking out of his mouth at just the right angle. With a small smile that remained hidden by the mask, the girl walked over to them. The boy caught sight of the movement and turned to face her, a grin slowly growing on his face.

"You're da mashk girl from eryiyer!" he exclaimed, spiting over himself. His smile didn't falter even as Zoro hit his head again and told him not to talk with his mouth full. The girl nodded her head, trying to conceal her chuckles, and replied, "It's nice to see you again." The boy's grin all but grew as he pointed to the seat between himself and Zoro.

He swallowed his food and said, patting the seat next to him, "Come sit with us! The food here is awesome!" The girl rubbed the back of her neck and shifted slightly, turning her head to the other customers, who had hushed their conversations to watch the scene in front of them.

"I-I don't know..."

The boy glanced at the customers, or should I say audience, and frowned.

"Kitsune [3] mask..." This grabbed the girl's attention. She turned back and locked eyes with the boy. "Sit with us."

Giving in, the girl moved to sit with them, only to pause again. He was about to call her again, when he saw an abrupt shuffle from the cluster of customers. But it wasn't until a second later that he realised there was something coming towards them. The girl, however, saw it and intercepted it before it could cause any damage. A cutlery knife. She looked back at the customers and saw someone cuss. With a deep sigh, the girl placed the knife on top of the counter and turned to leave, only to feel a tug on her wrist. Looking back, she saw the straw hat boy. She was about to ask him to let go when he intervened, saying, "Stay with us..." Then he grinned, "We have no money!"  
Everyone in the restaurant excluding the boy and Zoro fell to the floor in disbelief. The girl, however, stifled a giggle. _Strange boy,_ she thought and she fished through her pockets. Handing them money, she replied, "This should be enough to tie you both over. It was nice meeting you both." And with that she started walking, but the grip on her wrist only tightened, making her stop again. She turned and said, "Yes?"  
The boy just looked at her and said, "Stay with us."  
The girl stared at him, but was distracted by heckles that started to arise from the customers. Most were grumbling and whispering, but one man plucked up the courage to call out, "Don't go cursing them! They've done nothing wrong!"  
Others began to agree. A woman stood up and shouted, "Just leave them alone! Leave here and let them be!" Suddenly, the names began. The painful titles they had give her:  
"Demon child!"  
"Devil's child!"  
"Monster!"

Tears began to fill her eyes as she began to tremble. "Please," she whispered to the boy, "Let me go." But before he could react, a particularly tubby man raised his knife and threw it in her direction, screaming, "We said LEAVE!" And right on target the knife hit her shoulder. Soon, all forms of dining tools were heading their way. Zoro and the boy flinched, waiting for the impact, only to find it wasn't happening. They opened their eyes, seeing the girl was stood in front of them, allowing everything to hit her and catching every stray throw that threatened to hit the two behind her. They stared in disbelief.

Everyone in the restaurant stopped abruptly when a crack sliced through the air. The boy's eyes widened, fearing the worst, but was reassured by the dropping of part of the girl's mask. She tilted her head to the ground and touched the remaining of her mask that covered her face, dropping the objects she had caught in the process. Then, slowly, she raised her head to the customers and uttered one word that sent shivers down everyone's spine.

"_Leave."_

Without a second's hesitation, the customers' bundled out of every exit they could find, windows included. The girl looked down at herself and sighed, mumbling about her shirt being ruined by holes. She then proceeded to remove the various items that had pierced her skin. The only sound she made was a grunt when removing a fork from her ribs. The girl then picked up the items she had dropped and turned to put them on the counter, only to drop them all. She had forgotten that the boy and Zoro were watching. She was about to apologise when the puddle of blood and the blood that was dripping down her and seeping into her shirt began to reverse, going back into her body. The only thing left were clean holes in her shirt that reveal tanned, untouched skin. Zoro's eyes widened and the boy's eyes were literally sparkling with anticipation. He leapt off of his seat, cupped her hands in his and exclaimed, "Will you join my crew?!"


End file.
